"Under international law, humans possess an inviolable [ɪnˈvaɪələbəl] right to freedom of thought. As part of this, governments have a duty to create an environment where people can think freely." — Simon McCarthy-Jones, The Conversation, 27 Sept. 2023inviolable [ɪnˈvaɪələbəl]
adj
formal term - describe something too important to be ignored or treated with disrespect.
Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its opposite, violable ("capable of being or likely to be violated"), appeared in the following century.
Both terms descend from the Latin verb violare, which both shares the meaning with, and is an ancestor of, the English word violate. English Apr 29, 2024, 3:32 AM cowpoke
The author advised the aspiring writers in the crowd to develop an authoritative voice by sticking to subjects within their ken [kɛn]. // [beyond/outside/within one’s ken.] [It is beyond my ken!]ken [kɛn]
noun
Ken refers to someone’s range of perception, knowledge, or understanding, and is most often used in phrases like
- [beyond/outside/within one’s ken.]
Need a word that can encompass all that one perceives, understands, or knows? It’s just ken. So when someone says something is “beyond” it, the topic or question at hand is beyond their particular range of knowledge or expertise.
Ken in the 16th century: the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea. English Apr 28, 2024, 4:31 AM cowpoke
“Polls can have their own politics, and media polls are often accused of being tendentious [tɛnˈdɛnʃəs].” — Joseph Epstein, The Wall Street Journal, 26 Oct. 2021tendentious
adj
formal word
used disapprovingly
to describe someone or something expressing a strongly biased point of view in a way that may cause argument.
In the latter half of the 19th century, English users took the Latinate stem tendenti- (from tendentia, meaning “tendency”) and combined it with the familiar adjective suffix -ious to form a word describing someone with a tendency to favor a particular point of view, motivated by an intent to promote a particular cause. English Apr 25, 2024, 5:15 AM cowpoke
"From the quaint charm of its historic downtown to the dynamic energy of its burgeoning [ˈbɜrdʒən] Arts District, Gilbert [Arizona] offers something for everyone." — Lux Butler, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024burgeon [ˈbɜrdʒən]
verb
To bourgeon is to grow or develop quickly—in other words to flourish, blossom or sprout.
Burgeon arrived in Middle English as burjonen, a borrowing from the Anglo-French verb burjuner, meaning "to bud or sprout." English Apr 24, 2024, 5:48 AM cowpoke
"Despite the hurdles, comedians continue to negotiate their inalienable [ɪˈneɪ.li.ə.bl̩] need to do stand-up to the point that money comes as a secondary concern." — Jake Kroeger, The Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2023inalienable [ɪˈneɪ.li.ə.bl̩]
adj
Something considered inalienable is impossible to take away or give up.
Alien, alienable, inalienable—it's easy enough to see the Latin word alius, meaning "other," at the root of these three words. English Apr 16, 2024, 3:25 AM cowpoke
"Pet owners can have a tougher time finding apartments because of the surfeit [ˈsɜrfɪt]of landlords who don't allow dogs, cats or other animals in their buildings." — Andrew J. Campa, The Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024surfeit [ˈsɜrfɪt]
noun
Formal word - refers to an amount or supply that is too much or more than you need.
synonymous: excess.
from Latin through Anglo-French English Apr 12, 2024, 6:04 AM cowpoke
The issue will be decided under the aegis [ˈiːdʒɪs] of an international organization.aegis [ˈiːdʒɪs]
noun
Aegis is a formal word that refers to the power to protect, control, or support something or someone. It is often used in the phrase [under the aegis of].
English borrowed aegis from Latin, but the word ultimately comes from the Greek noun aigís, meaning “goatskin.” In ancient Greek mythology, an aegis was something that offered physical protection. English Apr 9, 2024, 4:49 AM cowpoke
The refugees gathered in a hilly redoubt [rɪˈdaʊt] several miles from the outskirts of town.redoubt [rɪˈdaʊt]
noun
Redoubt can refer specifically to a small building or area that provides soldiers with protection from attack, or more broadly to any safe or protected place, whether literal or figurative.
Redoubt actually comes to us (via the French word redoute and the Italian word ridotto) from a different Latin verb—reducere, meaning "to lead back," the same root that gives us reduce. English Apr 6, 2024, 7:42 AM cowpoke
Many gardeners promote composting as being good environmental praxis [ˈpræksɪs].praxis [ˈpræksɪs]
noun
Praxis is a formal word referring to the practical application of a theory—in other words, what one does to act on a theory (such as feminist theory) to which one is committed.
Praxis is also used synonymously with action or practice to refer to the exercise of an art, science, or skill, or to customary conduct within a given sphere.
Both praxis and practice come ultimately from the Greek verb prassein (“to do” or “to practice”) English Apr 4, 2024, 5:23 AM cowpoke
The coach lambasted [læmˈbeɪst] the team for its poor play.lambaste [læmˈbeɪst]
verb
To lambaste something or someone is to criticize them very harshly. Lambaste is also sometimes used as a synonym of beat meaning “to assault.”
The origins of lambaste (which can also be spelled lambast) are somewhat uncertain, but the word was most likely formed by combining the verbs lam and baste, both of which mean “to beat severely.” (This baste is unrelated to either the sewing or cooking one.) English Apr 3, 2024, 4:04 AM cowpoke
“Godzilla has long been seen as a symbolic representation of the nuclear devastation that Japan suffered, and that theme is evident here as well. But Godzilla Minus One adds a more personal dimension in the form of Koichi’s lingering trauma; the only way he thinks he’ll be able to expiate [ˈɛkspiˌeɪt] his guilt is by destroying the monster.” — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Dec. 2023expiate
verb
formal word that typically means “to atone or make amends for something, such as a sin or offense.”
from the Latin verb expiare (“to atone for”), a combination of ex- and piare, which itself means “to atone for” as well as “to appease.” (Piare comes from pius, meaning “faithful, pious.”) English Mar 31, 2024, 5:56 AM cowpoke
From the moment we met, we felt connected; we knew it was kismet [ˈkɪz.mɛt].kismet [ˈkɪz.mɛt]
noun
Kismet refers to a power that is believed to control what happens in the future. It is synonymous with both fate and destiny.
borrowed kismet from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately comes from the Arabic word qisma, meaning "portion" or "lot." English Mar 26, 2024, 4:19 AM cowpoke
The politician was criticized for genuflecting [ˈdʒɛn.jəˌflɛkt] to corporate interests.genuflect [ˈdʒɛn.jəˌflɛkt]
verb
To genuflect is to kneel, or nearly kneel, on one knee and then rise again in worship or as an act of respect. In figurative use, genuflect means "to be humbly obedient or respectful."
from the Late Latin word genuflectere, formed from the noun genu ("knee") and the verb flectere ("to bend"). English Mar 25, 2024, 4:04 AM cowpoke
The press secretary made a point at the briefing not to address the scurrilous [ˈskɜrələs] rumors surrounding the senator.scurrilous [ˈskɜrələs]
adj
1) Formal adjective that most often describes language that contains obscenities, abuse, or, especially, slander (诽谤)—that is, a false statement that damages a person’s reputation.
2) Scurrilous can also describe someone who uses or tends to use scurrilous language, or it can describe a person or thing as evil or vulgar.
from the Middle French word scurrile, which comes ultimately from the Latin noun scurra, meaning “buffoon” or “jester.” English Mar 21, 2024, 3:16 AM cowpoke
Consumer advocates allege [əˈlɛdʒ] that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway.allege [əˈlɛdʒ]
verb
To allege something is to assert it without proof or before proving it.
from the Middle English verb alleggen, meaning "to submit (something) in evidence or as justification." (Alleggen traces back to the Anglo-French word aleger, meaning "to lighten, free, or exculpate.") English Mar 19, 2024, 3:54 AM cowpoke
She shows an impressive amount of patience when dealing with querulous [ˈkwɛrələs] customers.querulous [ˈkwɛrələs]
adj
Someone described as querulous is constantly or habitually complaining. Querulous can also be used synonymously with fretful or whining when describing something, such as a person's tone of voice.
The Middle English form of the word, querelose, was an adaptation of the Latin adjective, querulus, which in turn evolved from the Latin verb queri, meaning "to complain." English Mar 16, 2024, 6:28 AM cowpoke
The two nations have for centuries struggled for regional hegemony [hɪˈdʒɛməni].hegemony [hɪˈdʒɛməni]
noun
Hegemony refers to influence or control over another country, group of people, etc.
Hegemony refers to a kind of domination. It was borrowed in the mid-16th century from the Greek word hēgemonia, a noun formed from the verb hēgeisthai, “to lead.” English Mar 15, 2024, 4:45 AM cowpoke
The young singer paid obeisance [əˈbeɪsəns] to Otis Redding while on tour in Memphis by singing “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.obeisance [əˈbeɪsəns]
noun
Obeisance is a synonym of homage that refers to an acknowledgement of another’s importance or superiority. Obeisance can also mean “a movement of the body (such as a bow) showing respect for someone or something.”
traced back to the Anglo-French word obeir, a verb meaning “to obey” that is also an ancestor of English’s obey. English Mar 10, 2024, 7:23 AM cowpoke
“Corporate retreats aren’t just for fun and games; they are for tackling germane [dʒərˈmeɪn] issues that are critical to the success of any such organization.” — Abiola Salami, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023germane [dʒərˈmeɪn]
adj
formal synonym of "relevant" that describes something related to a subject in an appropriate way.
from the Middle English word germain, meaning “having the same parents.” Today, something said to be germane is figuratively “related” in that it is relevant or fitting to something else... English Mar 9, 2024, 5:41 AM cowpoke
Many people disagree with the writer's personal Weltanschauung [ˌvɛlt.ənˈʃaʊ.ʊŋ], but most can appreciate the quality and thoughtfulness of her work.Weltanschauung [ˌvɛlt.ənˈʃaʊ.ʊŋ]
noun
A Weltanschauung is a worldview; in other words, a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint. The word is typically capitalized.
The German word Weltanschauung literally means "world view"; it combines Welt, meaning "world," with Anschauung, meaning "view."
Note that the word is typically capitalized in English, as all nouns are in German. English Mar 8, 2024, 5:35 AM cowpoke
